1st SAL.....Peg, Dale and I committed to stitching Anni Downs - A Gardener's Journal in March. I blogged about this on my blog thinking maybe one or 2 others may join us and lots of girls indicated an interest so I decided to start this blog where we can all encourage each other to meet the goals set along the way....March 2010 -March 2011...........

2nd SAL ......well so many of the girls wanted to continue on with another project and some new girls joined us and now approx 91 girls are stitching Natalie Bird's Tis the Season. March to Sept 2011...............

3rd SAL....many girls want to stick with the SAL so now we have moved onto Anni Downs Some Kind of Wonderful - My Favourite Things Quilt.......Oct 2011-Oct 2012.........

Where are we now.....

4th SAL 2013...is numerous smaller projects from the previous 2 books Tis the Season and Some Kind of Wonderful plus some projects from Red Home by Natalie Bird approx 60 ladies stitching together.........

6th SAL 2017.............A Holly Cottage Christmas by Michelle Ridgway.......once again the pattern is in an affordable book so it is easy for everyone to join in...........and you can raid your stash for the fabrics........or lash out and buy a the whole lot........this SAL will be run by Fiona aka Bubz Rugz and Raewyn........

Friday, May 29, 2015

Doing better this month by finishing before the end of the month!! "Arrived" at Chookyblue's (virtual) sewing party tonight so I could finish off my last block for May...

...and here are all my blocks finished!!......

Between you and me I'm not too happy about the bees wings - too far apart I think - may re-do them......later....sometime...Now the sensible thing to do would be to start the June blocks...ummm ...let's see what the weekend brings?Have enjoyed seeing everyone's blocks - some lovely fabric combinations happening!Happy StitchingAsta

With the blocks for May...I hope to finish them up during the party over on Chooky's blog this weekend...will post pics when I find my camera charger and get the battery charged...I have not been able to find it since my trip, hoping I did not leave it in the hotel. That said, I will now have a cuppa and sit to stitch a while.
WendyF

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I am a bit behind, even after a wonderful catch up with Chooky in April, who was whip cracking. My life has been taken over by my health. Knee pain has resulted in finding out that I need double knee replacement so for the past three weeks and the next five weeks I'm undergoing Prehab intensive muscle development, 3 hours a day of combined physio and hydrotherapy. So on Tuesday this week I needed a well deserved rest day and dragged out my box and sorted myself out.. Zip log bags became my friend, so I hope now I'll catch up - april is almost done

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

I'm behind, and I'm embarrassed about it, but I am still working on my projects. I decided today that I wanted to at least have the January project completely finished.

I used the pillow pattern from Gail Pan's book for the pillow. I was dodging rain today and unfortunately you can't see the quilting. I love it, and I know it will be so fun to use this upcoming holiday season. Now I'm back to work on my applique. Happy Stitching!! --Kristen

Monday, May 25, 2015

I know , I know I am late again getting started.... oh well... But what I really want to know is, does anyone else just get in a big mess when they start all of this. Choosing fabrics , cutting out etc.???? Mind you I am not showing you all the mess... just that I am working on it. Hope you are all enjoying your stitching Jen

My "Natures Journey" is coming to me by a block of the month kit from Anni Downs store "Hatched and Patched" in Bathurst .... so you can understand my eagerness each month to greet the mail man .... and he hasn't disappointed this month .... here are my May blocks .... all done and dusted and with a couple of little changes of my own ....

I just thought I would do a post and say how inspired I am seeing all the different versions of this lovely quilt design. I am still plugging away but still way behind. This weekend was totally committed to this Sal but the month still not complete.

I am just doing what I can with any spare minute , as dont want to rush this gorgeous quilt, but want you all to know that I am committed and it will get finished and am srill stitching away.

Sorry - no bees - at this stage for me - and when you have initials of SEW its hard to not use them all together. I've made a good start on June and even have some pieces cut for the big middle block - trying to get ahead so I can work on some other projects that need to get done.

Happy Sewing everyone - for those who are finished MayWell Done - Excellent!!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Earlier this month, in the very beginning, I considered dropping out of the group. I'm sure if I had done that, Nature's Journey would simply become a UFO...My Birthday was the fourth, my sister had been very ill for a week and they had taken her off the respirator....I prayed she wouldn't die on my Birthday...it was just after midnight on the 5th. We buried her on the 9th.

At that point, I had prepped 2 of the large squares and all of the small.....I'm glad that I didn't quit because, look, today is the 18th and I am finished.

I do not like doing the leaves at all...so you can see my blossoms only have one each....I see that one of the squares for the next section has multiple leaves....I am going to begin with that one, do a couple of the leaves, move on to another square, then come back and do a couple more leaves. That way I can break up the task.I find myself with a couple of extras: a heart and a hexagon so I may use those for part of the next section.I went in the craft room this morning to cut some large squares and discovered I'd used all of the fabric, except for a couple of strips for the small squares...so its off to Hobby Lobby for me today.I have been visiting you all but haven't really commented....you are doing great and I enjoy seeing every one's work.Happy Stitching, SammieAKA: Mama BearBears at Home

My week sitting around in the hospital and motel turned into 4 days but it did produce the finished June blocks. Very pleased to have them done.

These are all of the completed June blocks together

The BIG Blocks

The LITTLE blocks. The little bug has been appliqued and does have a head and legs - the bright green I used is just not showing up too clearly. I am thinking that I an going to take a photo of all of the blocks together as a record of ALL THE HOURS OF HAND SEWING!!!

I have only trimmed the February blocks so far - I will have a night of trimming in the very near future!!

Before I went I set up the centre block so this week I have started on that - the photo doesn't do it justice but I am really happy with how it came together. Now, fellow bloggers, this took 6 hours to set up!!! I ended up placing baking paper over the pattern and ironing the applique pieces to that then I peeled it all off in one piece and placed it on the pieced background.

I have read ahead and boy oh boy there is some work a coming up!!! I am going to start cutting out the gazillion little 2" and 1.5" blocks for the borders and start sewing them together. I am not really on a roll - just on a mission to have the top completed this year so I don't end up with another UFO in the cupboard!!!! I have a couple of additions to the borders in mind but more on that later if they come to fruition!!﻿